IAN Rowan lives on the shores of Lake Alexandrina and he is fed-up with the nonsense from the Murray Darling Basin Authority. In an open letter to the Authority following the recent publication of the ‘2013-2014 Basin Annual Environmental Watering Priorities’ he states:
“If the Murray Darling Basin Authority et al cannot even get recent events correct then how can we rely on them for future predictions and the proper management of the system?”
He has reason to be angry. On page 79 of the document that will set priorities for the distribution of billions of dollars worth of water, the history of water management at the Lower Lakes during the recent prolonged Millennium drought is fabricated.
According to the Murray Darling Basin Authority:
“In an attempt to maintain the water levels in the Lower Lakes above critical acidification levels the barrages were closed from 2007 to 2010. Even with this action, acidification occurred in some of the exposed fringing habitats of the Lower Lakes as the water level dropped well below 0.0m (Australian Height Datum) AHD and much of the lake bed was exposed.”
Mr Rowan writes:
“This statement is clearly nonsense and inconsistent with actual events as the possibility of acidification was only ‘discovered’ 12 months after the barrages were closed.”
Of course the entire problem of acidification and hypersalinisation at the Lower Lakes could have been avoided by simply opening the barrages to the Southern Ocean: by letting the Southern Ocean roll in, by letting the Southern Ocean fill the Lower Lakes.
Yet, the Murray Darling Basin Authority with their Orwellian approach to the truth, suggest that by closing the barrages that lake water levels could be maintained!
[Read more…] about Murray Darling Basin Authority Rewriting History – Yet Again
Jennifer Marohasy BSc PhD has worked in industry and government. She is currently researching a novel technique for long-range weather forecasting funded by the B. Macfie Family Foundation.